I bulk cold retard my bagels. However, I never know whether to bring to room temp before boiling. I’ve tried shaping straight from the fridge and letting them come to room temp and half were overproofed. Then I tried letting the dough come to room temp and then shape, but the shaping becomes impossible from there, they get a little more moist. I prefer bulk retardation over shaping and then retarding the bagels. I’m not looking for a super crispy exterior, only slightly crispy with a great amount of “tear” to my bagels. So should I let the bull dough come to room temp? Or should I shape and then boil right after shaping?
And I get the kind of crust you describe. I mix, bench rest one hour, shape and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with corn meal. I cover the sheet (not too tightly) with plastic wrap, then retard overnight.
I take the sheets out just before boiling the next morning, I don't bring them to room temp. Just remove the plastic wrap, which will have some moisture inside. Works for me.